As a process for producing cumene by subjecting cumyl alcohol to hydrogenation, namely, to hydrogenolysis or dehydration-hydrogenation, it is disclosed in, for example, JP2001-270880A and 2003-081886A to convert into cumene by hydrogenolysis of cumyl alcohol with a copper-based catalyst in a hydrogenolysis step of propylene oxide production. Especially, in use of with the copper-based catalyst, cumene can be obtained under high yield since nuclear-hydrogenation of cumyl alcohol difficultly takes place in hydrogenation.
In addition, the present inventors have conducted a study on use of a palladium-based catalyst as a hydrogenation catalyst for producing cumene from cumyl alcohol under higher activity compared to the copper-based catalyst. But, though a high activity could be obtained in use of the palladium-based catalyst, there was a problem that selectivity markedly decreased because nuclear-hydrogenation of cumyl alcohol took place.